Spanish tenants have flooded the streets of major cities in a nationwide call for stronger housing protections, following a parliamentary defeat of emergency measures introduced by the left‑wing coalition.
The protest movement began after the eviction of 87‑year‑old Maricarmen Abascal, a case that sparked nationwide fury and led to calls for a halt to evictions, lower rents and a ban on "vulture funds" that purchase residential property for speculative gain.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez faced a vote on two eviction‑related decrees. MPs rejected the first, which would have suspended evictions until 2030 and restricted investment‑owned properties, and the second, which aimed at auto‑renewing rental contracts. The backlash has put Sanchez under pressure to consider an early general election, a move that could reshape Spain’s political landscape.
Housing statistics show a severe shortfall of 700,000 homes, with rent prices rising 8.5% last year and Madrid’s rents up 9.7%. Experts warn that without urgent action, the crisis will continue to cost the working class and widen inequality.
